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Hood
Hood was the God of Death and also the King of High House Death. His appearance was that of an ancient Jaghut with pitted eyes. In Deadhouse Gates During the Season of Rot, a priest of Hood covered in flies approached Heboric and Felisin Paran while they were chained together against a wall in Unta. The priest stopped before them and said "Secret...to show...now..." The flies suddenly scattered, revealing no man under the mass of flies and startling the guards and other prisoners. Felisin later wondered, "Was that Hood himself? Had the Lord of Death come to walk among mortals? And why stand before a once-priest of Fener — what was the message behind the revelation?"Deadhouse Gates, Prologue In Toll the Hounds Hood was killed by Anomander Rake with Dragnipur, cheating Traveller of his revenge against the God of Death. Hood helped the prisoners in Dragnipur to battle the forces of Chaos by summoning all the dead from his realm. After Caladan Brood destroyed Dragnipur, Whiskeyjack and the Bridgeburners ascended and took on the role as Guardians of High House Death. In Dust of Dreams Hood returned to his frozen body, which was encased upon the Ice Throne, in front of his army of Jaghut. He knelt before them and asked for penance for his ancient betrayal. In The Crippled God He was revealed as the force helping Felash wield Omtose Phellack aboard The Undying Gratitude. When he appeared before a shipwrecked Shurq Elalle and company as they faced Sister Equity, Hood bit the face off the pure blood Forkrul Assail and led Shurq's remaining crew to the Battle of the Spire. With his power over Omtose Phellack, he froze the harbor of the Spire and destroyed the Assail, Kolansii and Perish warships anchored there, and created a glacial path up the Spire to the heart of the Crippled God. He personally slew Sister Reverence and freed the heart of the Crippled God. In Return of the Crimson Guard Hood spoke to Dessembrae in the aftermath of the Battle of the Plains through the skull of a battlefield casualty. Dessembrae was bearing witness to a fallen soldier, likely Ullen Khadeve, whose potential for greatness had been squandered in death. Dessembrae told Hood that he no longer had any expectations of death. To ask its purpose was to "impose expectations on mute existence--expectations it is in no way obliged to meet or even extend. And so I make no more, ask no more." A surprised Hood departed and Dessembrae promised he and Hood would speak again.Return of the Crimson Guard, Epilogue, UK PB p.689-690 In Forge of Darkness Hood had a wife called Karish and a brother called Haut.Forge of Darkness, Chapter 8, UK MMPB p. 336 Hood was kept chained in a cell in the Tower of HateForge of Darkness, Chapter 11, UK MMPB p.461 by Gothos in order to stop him from taking vengeance on Errastas and Sechul Lath after they murdered Karish.Forge of Darkness, Chapter 11, UK HC p.322 Gothos allowed Draconus to free Hood, but warned that Hood would declare a war on Death itself.Forge of Darkness, Chapter 16, UK HC p.521 Tens of thousands answered Hood's call to this impossible war, among them Jaghut, Imass and Thel Akai.Forge of Darkness, Chapter 20, UK HC p.661 Hood's Realm It was held that the dead would go to Hood's realm via Hood's Gate,Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 2, UK MMPB p.86 also referred to as Death's Gate.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 4, UK MMPB p.138 The area in front of Hood's Gate was described as a flat plain which was neither grass nor earth. The bright yellow glare of the sky did not originate from a sun, it was sourceless and the atmosphere was hot. The Gate itself was composed of naked human peat bog bodies with blackened flesh, animated and moaning.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 4, UK MMPB p.135/136 On rare occasions, the dead were accompanied to the gate by Hood in person, as was the case with Beak and Toc the Younger, whereas at other times, there was a GatekeeperGardens of the Moon, Chapter 4, UK MMPB p.137. Later in the series, the ascended Bridgeburners became Guardians of the Gate and their leader, the former Whiskeyjack, told Kalyth that they were, or would become, the new arbiters for as long as necessary.Dust of Dreams, Chapter 13, UK HC p.432-434 Worship One way of appealing to the God of Death was to let blood in Hood's bow and call upon the shades of ones ancestors.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 2, UK MMPB p.85 Capemoths were Hood's symbol in Seven Cities and carved on his temple in Aren.Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 7, UK MMPB p.286 Trivia It was stated by Equity, shortly before her death, that Hood was extremely powerful, even before claiming the Throne of Death, that he could have been an Elder God. She also hinted that Hood might have betrayed his followers during the Jaghut war on death. This was hinted at several other times, though the exact nature of the betrayal was not made clear. It is possible that many felt he had betrayed his followers by taking the Throne of Death, however Equity's phrasing seems to point at something more active, and later Hood remarked that he cheated death by taking its throne. Expressions The Malazan series contained many exclamations which referred to Hood: *"Hood's balls on a skillet"House of Chains, Chapter 26, UK MMPB p.997 *"Hood's Bones"Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 4, UK MMPB p.147 *"Hood's Breath"Gardens of the Moon, Prologue, UK MMPB p.5 *"Hood's Curse"Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 2, UK MMPB p.90 *"Hood's pecker"Reaper's Gale, Chapter 21, BCA edition p.688 *"Hood's litany"The Bonehunters, Chapter 2, UK MMPB p.113 *"In Hood's name"Memories of Ice, Chapter 25, UK MMPB p.1104 Speculation His name may have been Aimanan Hood as that name is listed in the appendix of The Crippled God. It is likely however, that that was a type setting mistake as in the Dramatis Personae of The Crippled God, Aimanan and Hood are mentioned separately in the list of the fourteen Jaghut. From a timeline point of view it seems unlikely as well as Hood climbs the Spire whilst the fourteen are fighting.The Crippled God, Chapter 23 The final scene with the Jaghut also supports the notion that he was not with them during the fight.The Crippled God, Epilogue I Notes and references Category:Ascendants Category:Gods Category:High House Death Category:Jaghut Category:Mages Category:Males Category:Rulers